


meet me on the bright side.

by unlxcked



Category: NCT (Band)
Genre: Alternate Universe - High School, Angst, Atypicals AU, Emotional/Psychological Abuse, Empath! Mark, Fluff, Multi, Timekeeper! Donghyuck, but mild! idk i think, set in The Bright Sessions universe, soulmates??? somewhere in there maybe idk, this is one hell of a wip so bare with me, will update along the way but yea dis sums it up i guess
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-08-27
Updated: 2018-08-28
Packaged: 2019-07-03 11:02:02
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 4,936
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15817557
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/unlxcked/pseuds/unlxcked
Summary: You would think that emotions are either diffrent colors or shapes, maybe they're warm or cold or sharp. But it wasn't that simple explaining this part of human psyche at all. Humans weren't simple. Mark knew this better than anyone.Life was difficult enough for Mark, with being an Empath and having to deal with highschool at the same time. It becomes worse when a new mystery is presented in a shape of Lee Donghyuck. Mark gets drawn into the world that was waiting for him, but he will find out that this new world isn't all friendly.aka The Bright Sessions inspired highschool AU.





	1. the beginning.

**Author's Note:**

> okay so i'm doin this. here goes nothing.
> 
> stan nct my doodes is all i have to say.

You would think that emotions are either different colors or shapes, maybe they're warm or cold or sharp. But it wasn't that simple explaining this part of human psyche at all. Humans weren't simple. Mark knew this better than anyone.

  
When he first felt another person's emotions he was fourteen and absolutely terrified. If you asked him how it felt to have power of empathy, he couldn't explain it to you. It felt foreign, like there was one feeling too many in his body and it disrupted everything. It felt right, like his body embraced this new feeling and was prepared for the loss of breath and weak knees. It was a total mess.

  
Years later, this power remains just as mysterious to him as it was when it first appeared. Mark hoped it would get easier with time, recognizing emotions and controlling them. In all honesty it did, to some extent at least. He still wasn't able to turn his power off and on, could only turn it down a bit. This took much effort and always ended with a major headache. All in all, he wasn't near as successful as he'd wish he was. He read online about some therapists who work with people like him, but it all seemed way too sketchy and he knew, deep down, that he was afraid of what his parents would say or do if he suggested something like that to them.

  
It took Mark weeks to get used to his parents’ emotions, so he wouldn't wake up in the middle of the night as he felt his mother's sadness creeping through the walls or flinch every time he felt his father's anger, directed at his own son. They were all tense, their emotions always threatening to overwhelm him. He couldn't even differentiate between his own and others’ feelings.

  
It wasn't as if his parents were bad people. They loved their only son, were so proud of smart and talented Mark, with his kind eyes and infinite adoration for his parents. It took some time, but they came around and decided to support their son as best as they could.

  
What they didn't talk about, but all of them felt, was that things weren't as they used to be. In initial days after his power showed up he was left all alone, and as much as he understood his parents and forgave them for their behaviour, the trust they had was broken. As the time passed Mark became closed off and never confined in his parents anymore. He felt their sadness and regret, but couldn't do anything to help them.

  
The only person Mark now trusted was Jeno. Him and Jeno became friends when he first came to live in Korea with his parents. He was lonely and had bullies, but Jeno showed him kindness and made him laugh when he missed Canada so much his heart became heavy in his chest. This friendship that Mark had always appreciated only deepened when Mark's power first appeared.

  
After being locked up in his house for three days straight and without access to his phone because his parents took it away from him, Mark was going insane. He was all alone and confused and so damn scared. His first instinct when his got his power was to tell Jeno, but he found himself afraid of the other boy's reaction. Mark decided to instead tell his parents first, a mistake looking back.

He was at the local convenience store when it first happened. His mom sent him to get some fruit and sweets for when Jeno was supposed to come over that evening. Just as he was at the register, packing his groceries, a young couple started fighting in front of the store. Mark looked their way out of curiosity. He would give anything if he could turn back time and just keep his head down. Curiosity killed the cat and all that.

As he looked at the couple, he locked eyes with the man and froze. It was like something had hit his chest and he lost his breath, his mind overflowing with one single emotion - anger. He felt so damn angry, like his brain felt this pressure for months and just wanted an outlet. It was so intense and foreign his knees gave out, his groceries spilling all around him as he fell to the floor.

Next few moments were a mess. He felt worried... No. He felt worry. Worry of people around him, their confusion and even some annoyance at the minor disturbance he was to them. He didn't feel these emotions, he felt people around him feel them, but somehow it didn't matter. It was as if they were his own. He quickly packed up his stuff, muttered some apologies and left the store as fast he possibly could on his still wobbly legs.

As soon as he told his parents the chaos began. They took his phone away and sent him to his room. He heard his mother make a call to Jeno's mom to say Mark suddenly fell sick. What a shame. Mark was kept away from outside world like a dirty secret, his parents too afraid to think of anything else but keeping Mark hidden.

Mark was beginning to become desperate in his room all alone. He thought about running away, but thinking about it made him even sadder and more scared and just added to the mess his head already was in. Just when he was on the verge of breaking down completely, on the third day since his isolation began, he heard a loud knock on their door. He creeped into the hallway so he could hear better what was happening downstairs.

It was Jeno. Jeno came to see him. Jeno wanted to know how Mark was. Jeno wanted to talk to him. His best friend Jeno was here and somehow Mark thought - felt - everything was going to be okay.

His heart deflated when his mother didn't let Jeno see Mark, telling a sad story of an awful case of flu and how they didn't know when will Mark feel better. _She's lying! Please, Jeno. Stay._ Mark was getting desperate. He even tried to feel what Jeno was feeling, but the emotions he sensed from where Jeno and his mom stood were all mixed up. Jeno asked Mrs. Lee to wish Mark fast recovery and then quickly left.

Mark scurried back into his room, climbed into his bed and waited.

His mom entered his room and saw Mark seemingly asleep. She stood there for a few minutes even, before exiting the room and going downstairs. Once Mark was sure she wouldn't come back, he began crying silently. He cried and cried until he fell asleep and dreamed of a grass field full off bright red poppy flowers.

 _I'm really going insane_ he thought as he woke up in the middle of the night. He started hearing things. A loud thud against his window. He tried going back to sleep when he heard the sound again. And again. A wave of frustration came over him when he realized - it wasn't his. This wasn't his frustration.

He ran to the window and peeked through the curtains. On branches of the old oak tree that grew in their backyard stood visibly annoyed Lee Jeno. As Mark just stood there frozen Jeno got annoyed again and waved his arms frantically to catch Mark's attention. Mark hurried and opened the window with as little noise as possible. Jeno didn't hesitate and with a little help of roof and Mark's hands made his way into Mark's room.

For quite a few minutes Mark just stood in his room hugging Jeno tightly and crying his soul out yet again. He could sense a whole bunch of emotions coming from Jeno, but decided to ignore them as best as he could for now. After that he told him everything Jeno was a bit mad Mark could even think Jeno would abandon him, but he quickly let go of it to focus on helping his best friend.

Tomorrow night, Jeno brought him his older brother's old phone ("Doyoung doesn't even know he still has it, relax.") so they could keep in touch until his parents let him out. Jeno promised to text him every day until then. Soon school was going to end and they would have the whole summer to figure this thing out. Neither of them mentioned that also meant Mark will have to deal with his freshmen year like this. That could wait.

When Jeno left that night Mark felt hopeful and for the first time in many days, he was sure that emotion was entirely his own.


	2. i find it hard to believe.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ok so i was inspired and this happened i guess
> 
> keep in mind two things:  
> 1\. i don't have a beta and english is my second language so there are bound to be some mistakes when it comes to grammar or spelling. for this i am sorry but it is what it is ya kno  
> 2\. i forgot the second one it's 2am wow good job me
> 
> welp. enjoy this chapter!!!

Being an Empath was hard. Being an Empath and a high school student was hell.

  
High school was a hectic kaleidoscope of emotions. All that stress, hormones and feelings were intense and ever present.

  
Mark absolutely hated it.

  
He did have Jeno and their little group of friends. When things got too hard, he would try and focus on their emotions. He was accustomed to them and they anchored him when he felt the sea of emotions was going to overpower him.

  
It didn't always work and sometimes Mark just had to deal with an immense heartbreak or anxiety some student was feeling that day.

  
Today was no different. Today was, in fact, worse.

  
It was the first day of Mark's junior year and first days of school were always the worst. Feelings he sensed were usually good ones - happiness and excitement at seeing your friends, all the summer loves growing into something more permanent. It was the sheer intensity of these emotions that made him nauseated.

  
He waited for Jeno in the parking lot. Doyoung was leaving for college soon so he suddenly wanted to spend a bit more time with his little brother. He offered to ride Mark to school these few days as well, but Mark felt Doyoung's offer wasn't hundred percent an honest one, so he passed. He wanted the give them these few mornings they had left to themselves.  
He spotted Doyoung's car coming to halt near him. Few seconds later, Jeno exited the vehicle and Mark could already feel his melancholic mood. It seemed like Jeno was aware his brother's departure was getting closer by the day. That mood lifted as soon as he saw Mark waiting for him.

  
They quickly made their way for school entrance. Mark could already feel the tides of emotions swallowing him whole, so he decided to try and focus on his friend. After thinking it over for a few seconds, he decided to ask Jeno about what he felt before.

  
"So, how was the ride with Doyoung?"

  
Jeno glanced at him before looking back into the crowd of kids. He was looking for someone. "It was fine. The usual. What makes you ask that?"

  
"You seem a bit down. I was just wondering if everything is all right, is all."

  
Jeno smiled a little, eyeing Mark. "You mean, I feel a bit down."

  
"Okay, yes. Maybe." Mark averted his gaze, now looking through the crowd himself, trying to spot their friends. "But you also look a bit down. I am your friend and I know you. Although, it does help when I can be certain of what I already know."

  
Jeno gave him another easy smile before he sighed. "Yeah, you're right. Nothing happened, but I guess I am a bit tense about Doyoung leaving. It's nothing to be worried about, though." His eyes caught on something, and Mark felt who Jeno saw before he spotted the boy himself. Renjun had his back turned to them but Chenle, who stood opposite of him, spotted them and beckoned Mark and Jeno over.

  
Mark often wondered if Jeno and Renjun felt the slight shift in both of their feelings when they were either with each other or talking about one another. It took him some time to notice it too, and he hated that he could feel it at all. It was something private, this fragile thing these two boys shared. Mark tried to ignore it as best as he could, but it was there - ever-present and growing by the day. Needless to say Mark never mentioned anything to them, and since Jeno never mentioned anything either Mark believed he was yet to acknowledge this.

  
Oh, and that's the other thing. Jeno was the only one who knew of his powers. Mark decided that since he couldn't understand this thing himself, telling his friends could wait. To them he was just Mark Lee who suffered from frequent migraines and chronic nausea.

  
Soon after that, Jisung found them as well and their little group was complete. They headed to their respective classes. Renjun and Jeno were juniors like Mark, but he had English first period alone. He headed for the classroom, trying and only partially succeeding in deflecting emotions that tried to penetrate his mind. First days were hard, but he could menage.

  
He was halfway to his classroom when something... changed. It was like fresh breeze touched his strained mind, taking some of the pressure with it. At first he though that he must have somehow finally gained more control over his power, but the breeze was already gone. Had he imagined that? He stood in the middle of the busy hallway and looked around, not sure what he was looking for.

  
Just when he was about to start moving again, another gust of that relief found his mind. It was so nice that Mark was tempted to just close his eyes and savour the feeling. Blue and light, movement like grass swaying on a field. He fought that urge off and put all his focus into trying to find the source of this strange energy.

  
And sure enough, he could feel threads of power guiding his gaze to... nowhere. He was looking at the far corner of the hallway as the feeling faded from his brain. He went over and stood in the place that he knew was the source of the strange anomaly. But no, it wasn't this place specifically. Something or someone who was here caused this. Mark could feel the remains of the power lingering to this place, but nothing he could focus on enough to try and track it's source. He looked around again, but the kids were still rushing to their classes and teachers were yelling for order and all the emotions came back to him. That reminded him he had classes to get to as well. He took a deep breath and hurried to his English classroom.

  
He tried to recall the feeling, remembering the images that flooded his mind. Blue. Breeze. Light. Fresh. Soft grass. Swaying in the field, poppies all around him. Images remained vivid in his mind as he finally made it to the classroom and took his seat.

  
The teacher was going over this year's curriculum, emphasizing the importance of reading through each work on time and doing it studiously. Mark, usually focused and diligent when it comes to taking notes on everything, was only half listening to what the teacher was saying.

  
Blue. Light. Grass field. Blue. Grass. Poppies, swaying all around him. Him, swaying with them.

  
His daydreaming was rudely interrupted by a knock on the door. Another teacher entered the class, followed by a boy with bright red hair. _Almost the color of bloomed poppies._  
Mark shook the thought away. Today's events were making his mind all fuzzy and weird. He focused on the boy again as the teachers whispered something to each other. The boy seemed almost as tall as Mark, his stance radiating quiet confidence. Now that he could actually think straight he saw that his hair was more of a deep auburn shade, nothing like bright red poppy blossoms. When he tried to get a glance at boy's eyes he found him already staring back at Mark. Kinda embarrassed, he quickly looked back at his non-existent notes.

  
After regaining his composure, he looked the teachers way and waited to see what happened next. English teacher, Mr. Kim, finally turned to the class. "As you all hopefully already deducted, we have a new student. Would you mind introducing yourself?"

  
The stranger gave Mr. Kim a small half-smirk. "Certainly I wouldn't." His next words were directed at the audience in the classroom. "My name is Haechan. My real name is Lee Donghyuck, but none of you qualify to use it just yet."

  
 _That was kind of cocky, wasn't it?_ Also rather unnecessary, Mark thought as he eyed the stranger again. Haechan didn't look his way again, only calmly walked to his assigned place and sat down.

  
Mr. Kim proceeded with his spiel, but now no one was really listening to him. Glances were thrown Haechan's way and words whispered between classmates. Not much happened in this school so a stranger was a welcomed distraction.

  
Not for Mark, though. That just meant one more bundle of emotions he would have to deal with on daily basis.

  
Talking about emotions...

  
Mark tentatively reached out with his power toward the back of the classroom where, seemingly already asleep, sat Haechan. It didn't take Mark long to find him, or rather... not find him.

  
Mark sensed people as this organized yet chaotic knot of emotions. They fit in perfectly and made no sense at all at the same time. Instead of feeling this, Mark felt Haechan's emotions as if they were an old painting. Everything was there as usual - anxiety, wonder, tiredness, excitement and a whole lot of anger. Haechan's emotions had a certain restlessness to them and yet it was almost like they were artificial. Like he decided what to put out, what other people (or rather just Mark) could sense from him. Like an old painting, they were a bit faded out. It was almost relaxing in a way, for Mark to feel this.

  
Mark was so shocked but what he felt that he made the mistake of turning around a bit to try and get a better look at the newcomer.

  
Haechan was lying down on his table, but from his vantage point Mark could see that he was fully awake and focused on him. The boy held his gaze and the connection between Mark and Haechan's emotions deepened. He tried to move his focus from boy's intense gaze to his own power. The longer they stared at each other the more cracks in his armor Mark could sense. If he could just reach out behind his shell, pry some invisible door open...

  
The connection suddenly broke when the other boy looked away. Mark was so struck by the sudden loss of it that he just continued staring at Haechan's profile for a few more seconds before regaining his composure.

  
The class finished soon after and before Mark could think of his next move Haechan was already gone. He sure as hell wasn't going to chase after him so he just picked up his stuff and went to Bio.

  
He had Bio together with Renjun and it took some effort not to tell him about his strange morning. Mark was a relatively closed off person, so much so he could seem cold to anyone but his friends. He didn't often feel the burden of keeping his ability a secret, but right now he could use someone else besides Jeno knowing. Will he even tell Jeno about these news? That could wait a bit.

  
The thing about Renjun was that he wasn't an Empath like Mark but he still had this sixth sense for changes in people. He noticed even the slightest shifts in someone's mood and stored all that information away until he could piece up the whole story. When he first met him Mark really thought he might be the same as him, but over the time he realized that Renjun was just extremely insightful and smart.

  
He usually liked this about the other boy, but not today.

  
"Something up?" Renjun asked him almost too casually. Which meant that the fact that something was definitely up was written all over Mark's face. Splendid.

  
"Not really, no. Just had English with Mr. Kim. There was a new transfer student. Seemed a bit cocky if you ask me."

  
Renjun showed a small smile. "Ah, yes. Lee Donghyuck, goes by Haechan. One of the two new transfers this year."

  
"And how do you even know that?"

  
"Baba told me." Renjun answered simply. The perks of having your father work in school administration, Mark guessed.

  
"Yeah, well. He did seem cocky and left as soon as class finished. Seems like one of those mysterious loners from novels."

  
And there was that almost-smirk again. "And you seem very opinionated on this stranger, don't you Mark Lee?"

  
If he wasn't so used to controlling his emotions, Mark would've probably blushed right about now. "We're not allowed to have opinions in this household anymore? Besides, there is never much to have an opinion about around here so I might as well use this rare opportunity to have one."

  
"Might as well." Renjun said, regarding him a second longer before changing the topic to their plan to go to local ice cream shop after school.

  
The rest of the day went by without further incidents. By the time lunch came around Mark was seemingly back to normal and Renjun didn't mention that morning's conversation again. Mark didn't really think he would, but it was still a relief.

  
While he was seemingly the same old Mark on the outside, on the inside he was in turmoil. He spent the whole day looking for a red haired boy, but Haechan was nowhere to be seen. Mark even tried reaching out with his power, trying to sense Haechan's cold kaleidoscope of emotions or maybe even that breeze from earlier this morning. He had this theory that the two were somehow connected, but how he had no idea. Never before had he faced anything as unusual as this.

  
When the classes finished their little group took a walk to the ice cream shop. Even though they all hung out a few times during summer and their group chat was never quiet, Mark missed seeing them every day and having a certain routine to their friendship. Routine was good. The known was good. It helped.

  
When they entered the shop the temperature dropped a few degrees and Mark shivered. It took him another second to realize the cold wasn't coming from the air around him. It was radiating from the boy who sat on the table near the large shop windows and was peacefully enjoying his vanilla ice cream. His auburn hair looked impossibly brighter in the afternoon sun. _Almost like poppy flowers._ Mark shook this useless though away yet again. What's up with him and poppies lately?

  
Opposite of Haechan sat another boy Mark didn't recognize. He was livingly telling some story to Haechan who seemed to only partially listen to his friend's words. As Mark watched, Haechan seemed to stiffen, then relax right before he looked Mark's way.

  
And there it was. Emotions like no other, a boy made up of calm sea and mystery.

  
Mark was tempted to just walk up to him, but fear paralyzed him.

  
What if Haechan was just a regular boy and would call Mark a freak if he mentioned his empathy? What if he was projecting some feelings of his onto this boy? What if his parents found out he told someone?

  
_What if I'm really going insane?_

  
This time he broke the eye contact first and hurried over to his friends, surprisingly finding that they were only a few steps away. It felt as if he stood there staring at Haechan for a full minute, but it looks like only a few seconds passed. Weird.

  
No one seemed to notice the shift in his mood. Not even ever so perceptive Renjun. He tried his best to keep his emotions at bay and didn't dare looking Haechan's way. It was too risky, loosing himself like that again in front of all these people.

  
Speaking of people, a sudden burst of fear snatched his attention, immediately followed by a loud crushing sound coming from behind the counter. The young girl in a work uniform had dropped one glass cup and just stood there starring at it, completely terrified. Mark realized why a second later when a wave of anger came rushing over him. Girl's boss came toward her and looked like he was about to scream at her, but thought better of it. Instead he bent forward and whispered something in her ear that made girls fear grow tenfold.  
Mark couldn't take it. Anger was the hardest feeling to deal with for him, and when combined with fear this intense it was almost unbearable. Mark tried the hardest he could to block this out before the man's anger became his own, before he erupted like a volcano that boiled for too long.

  
Jeno noticed the shift in Mark's state, his laboured breaths and eyes shut firmly. He carefully went to stand next to him and put his palm over Mark's, a gesture meant to calm and ground him. It usually helped, but today Mark was especially bad at controlling his ability. This morning's events and first day of school and now this... He felt himself slipping, sinking, burning; soaring towards something dark and unknown.

  
Just as the dam inside him was about to break, a blue breeze washed over him and took most of it away. This time it encircled Mark, almost like a protective barrier between him and the outside world that held nothing good for him.

  
It was there for a few seconds, until the man went back to his work and the girl started cleaning the broken glass. People got back to their ice cream and everything was flowing as it should again. The barrier disappeared just as suddenly as it appeared. The feeling of loss was almost physical.

  
"You holding up okay?"

  
It took a moment for Jeno's words to register in his still muffled brain. "Yeah, it's been a weird kind of day."

  
He turned back to where Haechan and the boy sat minutes ago and saw they were already getting their stuff and were about to leave.

  
He thought his decision over for a few seconds, but this time there was only one option.

  
He had to talk to him.

  
"Hey, I'll be right back. I just need to call mom." he said to Jeno before quickly exiting the shop.

  
He caught the two boys just when they were about to cross the street and then he would loose them in the crowd. He hurried to them and grabbed Haechan's arm just when he was about to start walking again. The boy jerked but Mark had his and other boy's attention now, so he quickly let go. Now what?

  
He just stood there for a few seconds, trying to come up with something to say when the unknown boy spoke up.

  
"Well, will you introduce yourself or just stare at our beautiful faces all day? We can arrange for that to happen, but some other day. We're a bit busy now." The boy didn't seem really annoyed but was a bit antsy and somehow off. It took Mark a second to realize he could sense no emotion at all coming off of him. He just stood there and gaped at him before Haechan's snort interrupted that.

  
"So you noticed Nana has no feelings whatsoever. Judging by your rather hilarious expression this is a first for you."

  
His attention was back on Haechan and his mission here. "Who are you and how did you do that? I need to know."

  
Haechan just smirked at the urgency in Mark's voice. "Curious, are you? Well, there goes being subtle and all that. Nana, please do mention to Tae that I truly tried this time."  
The other boy, Nana, just sighed and looked over the street. Mark locked eyes with Haechan again and the playfulness was all gone from them now.

  
"We'll talk if you truly want that, but not here and not now. Meet me back at this shop after school tomorrow. And, please, at least try to look like you know what you're trying to do here."

  
With that he looked away from Mark and the two boys quickly crossed the street and entered a busy walking area. Mark soon lost the sight of them and had no choice but to return to the ice cream shop and his friends, although he had no appetite now.

  
Jeno looked over him and Mark could feel his worry. He imagined that this was how it felt to have a brother, a guardian. He smiled gratefully at Jeno and quickly assured him everything was completely fine. He ignored Renjun's questioning gaze. He felt his suspicion and was sure that soon he would have some explaining to do.

  
But not now. Not today. That was enough for now.

  
That night as he fell asleep Mark couldn't help but recall the intensity of Haechan's gaze on him, couldn't help replaying every moment and sensation of this hectic day.

  
When he finally fell into a hard-earned sleep, he dreamed of ocean breeze and flowers.

  
Red flowers of all kinds, all around him. Inside him.

  
He opened his palm and on it bloomed a tiny, red poppy flower. Slowly swaying on the cold wind.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> important note: some of the powers are borrowed directly from the bright sessions series and some aspects of markhyuck's relationship will be borrowed from adam x caleb storyline (since this character caleb is empath n all that ya kno)
> 
> still! all the credit for these ideas go to the bright sessions and it's creators (i love u lauren my queen)!


End file.
